iMac 21.5 (refurb) + iPad 3 (16GB) or MacBook Pro 15"

[choffy]

I read a few of these topics from a Google search, but each users needs are a little different and I'd figure I'd just get some buying advice from people who have used these machines extensively before so have a better knowledge of what I should expect.

I'm a student and initially I had my heart set on a MacBook Pro and was waiting for the refresh tomorrow at WWDC. But after thinking about it for a few months, the iPad + iMac combo keeps popping up in my head. All I'm going to need the laptop for is internet browsing, note taking and music listening, which an iPad seems to be able to do easily (and with Microsoft Office coming this fall, should be even easier). When at home, I have Photoshop CS5 and will buy Final Cut, but these are for light class projects and not something I will be investing a ton of time with, just occasionally here and there.

Any advice would be appreciated, since I'm pretty torn.

 

[J&JPolangin]

I have your desired setup and then some...I have a 21.5" 2011 iMac and a "new" iPad 4G 64Gb model along with the HP DM4 and white Macbook in my signature (and two win7 Desktops that I built that are liquid cooled monsters used to run my "home" network and game)...and I'd say go with the iMac and iPad now and add a MBP (or MBA) in another generation to two = I'm probably going to go for Haswell vs. Ivy Bridge and give the whitebook with SSD to one of my family or friends as I want the portability of the 11" MBA to go with my iPad

 

[Ahiqar]

Note-taking

Personally, I have found note-taking to be much more difficult on an iPad than on a laptop. For you it may be different. But if you are going to be doing a lot of note-taking in class, etc., you might consider that in your decision.